Choices
by Shevinski
Summary: a Zutara in the making.  this is after the end of the secound season.  This will have a TAangy after taste.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: it's my first fanfic so be brutal or i'll keep writing crap. So burns are welcomed like old friends. 

"What do you mean My Uncle escaped?" Azula snapped at the unfortunate guard. He cowered in front of her. Deathly afraid of what she would do to him for being the bearer of such bad news. Azula turned away towards Mai and Ty-lee.

"Girls get ready we have a soon to be dead dragon to hunt." Mai stood up and smiled at Azula.

"I'll just get Zuko then, shall I?" Mai said not waiting for an answer.

"Yes, it's time Zu-Zu realized what a traitor Uncle is" Azula said while turning back to the unfortunate Dai-lee.

Zuko, who had already felt unsure of his choice to join his sister, was even more disgruntled to have to track his uncle. What was wrong with Mai making him come! Zuko was snapped out of thought by the sight of a lao-sho piece. Hoping no one would notice Zuko leaned down from his ostrich-horse to pick up the game piece. He looked at it and was about to tuck it away when Azula noticed.

"What's that Zuko? Is it Uncle's?" She went to snatch it from him but Zuko pulled it out of reach without thinking.

"Do you think it wise to defy me when you are already on thin ice with father?" Azula said coldly to her elder brother. Zuko was about to make a retort that he would surely later regret.

"Look up ahead it's the avatar's Bison. Is that Iroh riding towards them?" Ty-Lee said the last part uncertainly. No one but Azula really wanted to find him.

Zuko quickly tucked the piece away while Azula called for a charge. Zuko hoped his uncle would get away but the avatar he couldn't wait to capture. He smiled for the first time in what seemed like ages.

They soon reached the Avatar and his crew. They were holding Iroh as if they thought he had lead the war party to them. Unfortunately in a way he had.

Azula sent a Lightning strike at her uncle. His arms held in place by earthen shackles he couldn't stop it and received the full effect. Toph realizing their mistake tore down the shackles and sprang at Azula. Mai got in Toph's way throwing knives at the little blind girl. Sokka didn't seem to like this and jumped in to the fray. Ty lee was jealous of any one else fighting her hunky Sokka. Attacked separating him from Toph and Mai.

Zuko had been ready to launch himself at the avatar until his sister had attacked his uncle. He sat frozen in shock. Then he ran to his uncle crying silent tears. "Uncle!" he gasped. Katara stood a few feet away unsure what to do. Aang was fighting Azula while Toph and Sokka where likewise engaged in battle. Usually she just jumped into the flurry of battle but she also wanted to help Iroh it was their fault that Iroh had been struck by lightning. Her decision was soon made for her when Azula set a blast of fire at her. Katara just barely got of the way in time. She was about to slap Azula's Evil grin off her face with a water whip when a noise cut through the cacophony of battle. It sounded like a war cry and a sob of grief. "AZULA!!" Zuko stood up next to his uncle's motionless body. "I am going to kill you! How dare you hurt uncle!"

"He was a traitor and a worthless old man. You better watch yourself brother dear if you don't want to end up like him." Azula said icily. For a moment the battle stopped to see Zuko's response. They didn't have to wait long.

He unsheathed his swords using them to send fire at his sister. Azula hissed in anger and returned fire. Zuko dodged out of the way.

"If you side with uncle you side with the Avatar! Do you want that Zu-Zu" Azula spat.

"Ha! She called you Zu-Zu! What a stupid nickname. Oh that was a classic." Sokka said hitting himself in the head. With Sokka's reverent comment the other battles started up again.

Azula on the other hand wasn't done taunting Zuko. "What are you going to do Zu-Zu? Die in great glorious blaze? Oh wait you have no honor how can you even glimpse glory." She chortled at her own joke.

Zuko however wasn't listening. He had turned to Katara. "You water peasant you can heal right?"

"My name is Katara! She shouted before she thought, "Not water Peasant, Jerk!" Zuko looked at Her. Katara got the feeling it wasn't time to argue and went to heal the Dragon of the west.

Azula didn't take being ignored well. She shot fire blasts to punctuate her next sentence. "Stop talking to the water peasant Zuko. There are more pressing matters to attend to. Like whether or not I'll scar you before I kill you. Oh, wait father already did."

"What's the matter Azula you jealous of my beauty mark or the fact some water peasant is better looking than you?" Zuko sneered.

Azula did not take this with grace. She was shooting fire non-stop. Zuko was no longer angry his emotions were too wrung out for him to feel anything. He numbly dodged Azula's attacks till he could get closer and press an advantage. Azula seemed to notice at the same time that she was running out of steam and decided she needed a distraction for a clean get away.

"Well Zu-Zu, Let us see how pretty the water peasant is after this." Azula directed another strike of lightning at Katara. Katara turned away from her patient and blinked. Zuko had jumped it to the lightning's path and caught it with his sword point. He did not hesitate before he brought the lightning through his own body careful to avoid his heart and into his stomach before sending it out again.

Although it had all happened in the blink of Katara's eye Azula and her cronies were gone. Aang stood gawping at Zuko for a second. He looked as if he was about to speak when Zuko turned to Katara. "How is he?" He saw the answer in Katara's sad eyes. He sighed. "I – I need you to help him but if you stay here Azula will come back. I can't ask any more from you."

Sokka immediately put his two cents in. "Your absolutely right. Now if you'll excuse us, we will be going." Again Aang looked as if he would do his peace making Avatar duties but Katara beat him to it. "Sokka! How can you say that look at his uncle. It's our fault that he is in this shape." Katara eyes welled up at the end.

"No it's mine and only my fault," he said. Without thinking he whipped the tears from Katara's eyes.

Author's note: remeber write horrible things about me and i will love you forever!! 


	2. The Wall

Zuko cradled his uncle in his arms while the Avatar's gang grabbed their things and threw it onto Appa's saddle. Toph was about to get on when she noticed that Zuko wasn't moving. "You waiting for a personal invite or Christmas to come aboard?"

Zuko was still numb from the battle and his only response was to gently bring Iroh into the saddle. He sat down with Katara by his side. She was the only thing he was aware of besides his hurt uncle. She was his last hope to redeem himself in front of his uncle.

They flew until nightfall. They landed by a mountain stream. Toph jumped down and sighed. "Feels good to be back on land, doesn't it?" Her statement yet again failed to break the uncomfortable silence and tension that had descended on the group since the new additions came.

Sokka grunted." I'm not letting either one of you fire benders out of my sight! So don't even think of trying any funny business." He snarled at Zuko.

"Well I'll make it easy for you, I'm not leaving my uncle's side until the water wench—" Zuko began angrily but was interrupted by Katara.

"My name is Katara say my name!!! It is not that hard angry jerk!!" Katara yelled frustrated from a night of useless bending. Nothing she had tried seemed to help the old man at all. His cationic state made her uneasy.

"Do you listen to yourself? Or do you just like the sound!! Angry jerk? At least what I came up with had alliteration, your insult sounds like a third graders!!"

"Alliteration doesn't make it clever, Scar face! I am sick of---" The group never found out what Katara was sick of because of Toph's polite interruption. She had earth bended a huge wall surrounding Katara, Zuko and Iron's motionless body.

"You two shut up I am exhausted and I want my sleep!! You two stay in there till morning and be quiet of I will grind your bones to dust!"

Sokka looked abashed and glanced at Aang. "What Sokka, are you worried that Zuko will hurt Katara?" Aang certainly looked like this weighed heavily on his mind.

"No, I think- you won't believe this but I'm worried what Katara might do to him." Sokka laughed.

Toph smiled, "you should be, the sugar queen can take care of herself."

On the other side of the wall they didn't hear any of this. They stared at each other not moving. Zuko released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "O.K. Water we—err Katara," his face twisted in what looked like pain. "Would you please take one more look at my uncle tonight." He was just barely suppressing the pain.

Katara was aggravated by his show of pain. Why should it hurt him so much to be civil to me? I am doing everything I can to help him and his uncle. But he is acting like it causes him physical pain! How rude can you get?

Katara had wrongly assumed Zuko's pain was caused by his attempted politeness to her. Zuko knew that is what she probably thought but he was about to enlighten her about the burn he had sustained in the fight with his sister. He was embarrassed by he had bungled his revenge on his sister. No matter how many times he replayed the battle in his mind the only way that he could of won was to let Katara get hit by the lightning and attack when Azula was distracted. He couldn't justify such collateral damage even if she was the enemy. Katara would not die for this.

Katara was weary from all the healing she had been doing. Zuko softened his gaze at her. "You should rest. You can't help my uncle if you kill yourself from sleep depravation. Get some rest." Katara stretched and yawned.

"No I can last a little longer." She said bending over Iroh again. Zuko grunted his disbelief and leaned against the wall next to Katara.

"If you are worried about your patient I won't hesitate to wake you up if his condition changes." He frowned. Then trying to hide his hope asked. "Do you think he will come out of it tonight?" he sat down next to her and his uncle burned back against the cool earthen wall.

Katara turned away from his hopeful eyes and told the truth. "I don't think he will come out of it any time soon. His coma is the body's response to the heavy damage it sustained." She sighed. "Will you hold me?" Seeing his stare. "I mean to keep me steady while I work on your uncle. I am too tired too hold myself steady." She explained quickly. His usually pale face had turned pink.

He panicked inside for a moment. The thought of his uncle steadied him as he held the water bender still over his uncle. He could stand the pain of his burned back stretched holding her. To his surprise it wasn't so bad holding her. He watched fascinated by the water she was twisting to her will.

Katara needed to be completely steady for this. It was the most complicated technique for healing that she knew. If Zuko had to hold her for this then so be it. Maybe then he would understand and respect her with this front row seat. Respect was all she wanted.

Zuko was mezmirized by the water. But after a while he noticed that the bending got slower, and started losing its shape. Finaly the water just feel on his uncle leaving him wet. Zuko noticed that katara had gone limp. He pulled the snoozing beauty onto his lap. He leaned against the cold wall. And stroked her hair until he joined her dreamland.

Toph got up rested and relaxed the next morning. To her surprise she felt that instead Zuko and Katara were not on opposite sides of the enclosure but cuddled up together. She laughed making sure Sokka and Aang were still asleep. And let down the wall.

Zuko, whose pillow was the wall, now was the ground. In other words his head came crashing down and CRACK. He sprang up clutching his head and knocking Katara out of his lap. "OW! What was that for! You stupid little girl!"

"What are you yelling Zuko?" Katara yawned. Zuko growled at Toph but didn't say anything. He pulled his hand away from his head reveling a bloody gash. Katara noticed instantly. "Oh! Zuko here, let me help you with that."

Toph laughed and had an evil grin on her face. "I am a relationship genius!! I should have my own show and call it Dr. Toph."

"Are you kidding me? You couldn't even make a good carton charctrer!" Zuko shouted. Toph ignored this and earth bended a couch and knocked Zuko unto it. Yet again Zuko's head was pushed not so nicely into a rock pillow. "Ugh! What is wrong with you, Dr. Toph!" He snarled. He got up from the earthen couch and walked toward the mountain stream. "I'm going to get some breakfast."

"Be back before the commercial break is over. Prince sourpuss!! We'll be back after some brief messages from Dr. Toph's sponsors." Toph smiled at Katara and they laughed at Zuko's hasty retreat.

Author's note: tell me if they are still in charcter or not. And please comment even if it is horrible rude. 


	3. Zuko

Author's Note: This chapter is really just trying to set up a deeper relationship with Zuko, and give hints of TAang. i'm not sure if i stayed in charcter enough tell me if i didn't and i'll fix it. 

Zukowas still perturbed by Toph's weird brand of humor or relationship therapy. He sighed, not wanting to have to cook. He squared his shoulders and reminded himself he had to not only carried his own weight with the avatar but his uncle's as well. That was a lot of weight to carry. He smiled at that thought.

He quickly caught five fishes. He began cooking them over a fire careful to make sure his bending wasn't too obvious. He didn't think Sokka would respond well to him openly roasting breakfast. He groaned when he saw how few spices the group had. Didn't they understand cooking? Food should be spicy and full of zest.

"This is pretty zesty, Katara. I'm glad you are finally getting the hand of this cooking thing." Sokka said. Katara turned red and glared at Sokka

"What's that supposed to mean? I thought you liked my coming." Katara said. Aang's ears turned pink. "I think your cooking is always good." He muttered. No one paid attention to him because Zuko started laughing. Sokka did not take well to this.

"What are you laughing at prince ponytail?' He snarled. Zuko didn't bother to point out that Sokka had more of a ponytail then he did. He just continued to chuckle.

"Do you really like this, Sokka? I am bit surprised." Zuko grinned evilly. Sokka growled at Zuko and turned to Katara. "Katara, I think this meal is the best meal I've ever had!" Sokka smirked thinking he had beaten Zuko. Zuko just laughed even harder as he got up and left to check on his uncle.

"Good for nothing, he could of at least help clean up after being so rude to you." Sokka scowled. Katara hid a small smile and shook her head. "Sokka, I didn't cook this 'greatest meal ever,' Zuko did." Sokka's jaw dropped.

Zuko was already getting frustrated just sitting by and watching Katara heal his uncle. They were flying on Appa again, so he couldn't go off and practice fire bending to calm down. He needed to practice. He needed to get stronger to beat Azula. His lip curled at the mere thought of her. How could she attack uncle like that? Uncle had been defenseless and she had attacked anyway. Heartless that was the only to describe Azula. He sighed. That was also the reason she can do lightning and I can't.

Katara looked over at Zuko. He hadn't talked since breakfast. This made her worry. He had so much bottled inside, and he had no one to talk to. The only person he was close to or even cared about him in the world was in comma. She thought back to what Azula had said to Zuko. Maybe there was some nugget of information in there that would help her understand him.

A cruel pale face appeared in Katara's mind. The words of that vile woman came floating back to her. "What are you going to do Zu-Zu? Die in great glorious blaze? Oh wait you have no honor how can you even glimpse glory." She chortled at her own joke.

Katara frowned. She had heard that Prince Zuko had been banished form the fire nation by his own father. That was why a prince was the one chasing them. That must be what Azula was talking about. How could a father do that to his child? She frowned. She badly wanted to know why he was banished but why would a prince open up his family issues to a stranger at best or an enemy at worst. Wasn't there something else she said? Something that would bring me closer to Zuko, she thought wistfully. Closer to understanding him, she corrected herself. Then another flashback hit. "Stop talking to the water peasant Zuko. There are more pressing matters to attend to. Like whether or not I'll scar you before I kill you. Oh, wait father already did." "What's the matter Azula you jealous of my beauty mark or the fact some water peasant is better looking than you?" Zuko sneered.

Katara blushed at the thought. Why, would she care if Zuko thought she was good looking? That wasn't important. What Azula had said was. Did his dad really scar him? She had never given much thought to what had given Zuko his scar. He was the enemy. His was the face of the enemy. She had offered to heal that scar once. Did he really think of it as a beauty mark or was it constant reminder of the life that had been taken from him and all of his failures. What did it really mean to him.

Katara had been so absorbed in thought that she hadn't realized they had stopped and had already unloaded. In fact Zuko and Sokka had just came back from hunting. She was disappointed to have missed Toph's comments or the arguments between Sokka and Zuko. Apparently Aang had been talking to her but she hadn't been paying attention. She watched Zuko try to cook dinner with Sokka interrupting and telling him how to cook. "Sokka, when did you know how much thyme to put on muskrat-possum? I have never seen you so interested in the cooking process."

Sokka was startled he expected to be his side at least in heckling the Fire Prince. She didn't though. He expected her to argue with him and pop s hole in his ego but to be on the fire boy's side was disgusting. He would have to talk to Katara about this later.

After dinner Katara had to find a way to get away from Aang. She looked around for Toph. Toph was the only way to distract Aang from showing off for Katara. His showing off was getting worse and worse. Why couldn't he show Sokka his new air bending tricks, She was getting sick of them. She finally spotted Toph coming out of the woods. Zuko was coming out right behind her. Katara felt a pang of jealousy towards Toph. I just want to be able to go in the woods and not be bothered by Aang that's all she told herself. "Toph over here!" Katara waved merrily before remembering Toph wouldn't see the wave. Toph came over anyways.

"What is it Sugar Queen?" She lowered her voice meaningfully. 'Is it operation distract twinkle toes, again?" Toph seemed more excited by the prospect then Katara was. Toph joyfully turned to Aang and declared loudly. "Come on twinkle toes it's time for you to practice bending. We don't want you getting lazy." Toph grabbed the avatar by the ear and pulled him into the woods. Katara turned around looking for Zuko. He was going into the woods opposite of the way Toph had taken Aang.

Author's note: It was longer than i expected, i promise the next chapter there will be more action and comedy. 


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